Having problems in most games - help

[Therk]

Ok, about a month ago I started having problems with some games. It first happened when I dl'd the Call of Duty 2 demo. If I selected DX9 mode as soon as the game started I got the blue screen of death for about 1 second (with no writing on it) and then the computer rebooted. It played fine in dx7 mode. 'Fine' I thought, I thought it was a driver issue with a new game or something so I left it alone. Now about 2 weeks ago HL2 started locking up after about 10 minutes of gameplay, the sound would loop and the screen would be frozen - I could not alt+ctrl+del out of it either.

Now I was playing Battlefield 2 yesterday and all of a sudden the buildings infront of me just vanished - I could just see the player models for hundreds of meters through buildings. Then the buildings came back and the textures on the railroad tracks started changing colour. Black-brown-RED they went and then I got the magical Call of Duty 2 blue screen of death and a reboot.

Also another odd thing is that when I put HL2 on LOW settings it works FINE and does not freeze after about 10 min of gameplay. I strongly doubt its anything but the video card since I doubt I would see the railroad tracks change colour because of something like a CPU overheat :S.

Please help me out, thanks

 

[Piuc2020]

That seems weird, BSODs might indicate ram problems so check to see if your RAM is working fine (memtest should test your ram properly), underclock your 9600XT to stock speeds if its OCed, also, update to the newest drivers (if the problems started happening with new drivers, downgrade to old drivers) and touch your card's HSF after the problem has happened, if its too hot you burn your finger or you have to remove it quickly followed by an ouch then you might have overheating options (if its hot but it doesn't burn you or you can keep your finger on it I would not worry). Also try running Prime95, SuperPI to discard the possibility the CPU might be having some instability problems. Furthermore run 3DMark05 runs like crazy (or just a really video intensive app) to stress the videocard.

 

[Killrose]

Like Piuc2020 said, run some Prime95 or other non-3D CPU system stress tests. Then if your system passes those and only Crashes on 3D apps, try a complete removal of drivers using Driver Cleaner and re-install.

 

[Therk]

I tested the CPU on Super pi (2mb took under 2 min on a A64 3000+) and Prime 95 - none reported any problems.

Also is 'memtest' a tool or an inbuilt function?

I can't open the computer atm to touch the HSF but I might later today.

Also I installed the 5.10s about 2 weeks ago and I switched back tot he 5.7s in hope of solving the problems but nothing changed so Im still on the 5.7s now.

 

[Therk]

played bf2 again and it took about 25 min to get the blue screen.

Just before I got the blue screem the apc infront of me just dissapared (I could only see the player models inside)

 

[Lasthitlarry]

Ram was the first thing to pop in my head.

Try it with fast write off(in BIOS)

Guessing you don't have thermal issues?

Power supply might not be givin enough juice?

 

[Therk]

I turned fastwrites off @ CC and it still crashed.

I woulnt say that I have thermal issues but the CPU is a little hot.

CPU idles at about 40C and usually is about 50 when heavy gaming, 54 is the highest I ever recorded though. (A643000+)

Power supply is a 400W and Im pretty sure it culd handle it since 9600 XT isnt a power monster.

 

[Therk]

bump

 

[Therk]

bump again

 

[Matthias99]

Did you try reinstalling the latest video drivers and DirectX? Maybe your MB drivers as well?

Also, try looping something like 3DMark01 -- something that you are sure doesn't have bugs or driver issues. If it crashes or artifacts doing *that*, either your drivers are messed up or your card is bad.

 

[Therk]

I tried dif drivers and I could try a reinstall of directx or MB drivers but I don't thinka that would help.

I haven't really seen artifacting in 05/01. Also I has this card for 2 years, don't know why it would become bad now.

 

[Therk]

Now as soon as I start loading BF2 (the map) I get the blue screen and a restart like in COD2. I'm really starting to think that this is not a Graphics card or a CPU issue. I think this may be ram related.

 

[will889]

Try something simple first like re-seating teh modules then run memtest 86, test #5 for 8 passes.

 

[Therk]

downloaded memtest but it says it need a folppy to install or something

 

[Therk]

bump

 

[Therk]

cmon guys, I need to test my memory (ram)

 

[Therk]

Ok I just downloaded a microsoft memtest thing and I put it on a floppy, I restarted the PC and it started loading but it said 'disk I/O error' I am thinking this has nothing to do with my ram, maybe the I/O is for Input/Output? Help me out here

 

[Johnny Cage]

Hi.

I had the same prb as you guys, and i managed to solve mine prb.

It was not a harware error in my case it was a software error.

Mine creative soundblaster audigy 2 had an old driver i updated it with the newest and there is no prb`s for me abouth this issue anymore.

To solve it i downloaded Driver detektive http://www.drivershq.com/Default.asp and that is a freeware. That software told me that my soundcard driver was old and that the rest of mine drivers was up to date, so i just downloaded the old driver

This seams to have solvd mine prbs.

No more bluescreen when i plays Call of Duty 2.

However i dont know if this helps you solve your prb`s But i hope so.

Sorry for my English but i hope you can understand what solved mine prbs anyway

 

[Therk]

The memory is fine (according to memtest)

Johnny cage, its good that it stopped for you but I still don't understand why it would only impact some games and COD2 runs fine in dx7 mode.